How to Choose a Roofing Contractor

Why Contractor Selection Matters More Than Price

A roof repair or replacement is not a commodity purchase. The quality of the workmanship determines whether your new roof lasts 25 years or fails in 8. A contractor who cuts corners on underlayment installation, nail patterns, flashing integration, or ventilation will produce a roof that looks fine on day one and develops problems years before it should.

The roofing industry has a disproportionate share of bad actors — unlicensed crews, out-of-town storm chasers, contractors who are gone before any warranty work is needed. Protecting yourself requires knowing what to ask for and what to watch out for before a dollar changes hands.

Step 1: Verify the License

Roofing contractor licensing requirements vary significantly by state. Some states require a specific roofing contractor license. Others require a general contractor license that covers roofing. A few states have no state-level requirement but may have county or city requirements. Knowing your state's requirements tells you what credential to ask for.

How to verify:

1. Ask the contractor for their license number and licensing classification.
2. Go to your state's contractor licensing board website and search the license number directly. Don't Google the contractor's name — look up the specific number they gave you.
3. Verify the license is current (not expired), in good standing (no disciplinary actions), and that the name on the license matches the company you're contracting with.
4. If the contractor says your state doesn't require a license, verify that independently. Some contractors use this as cover for simply not being licensed.

An unlicensed contractor isn't just a legal issue — it typically means no formal training standard was required, no bond is in place, and you have limited legal recourse if work is defective.

Step 2: Confirm Insurance Coverage

This step is not optional. Two types of coverage are required:

General Liability Insurance

General liability covers damage to your property caused by the contractor's work. If a crew member drops a tool through your skylight, trips a ladder into your siding, or their equipment damages your driveway, general liability covers it. Minimum acceptable coverage: $1,000,000 per occurrence. Larger jobs warrant higher limits.

Workers' Compensation Insurance

Workers' comp covers injuries to the contractor's employees while they're working on your property. Without it, if a worker falls off your roof and is injured, you could face personal liability for their medical costs and lost wages. Every roofing contractor with employees is required to carry workers' comp in virtually every state.

How to Verify Insurance

Ask for a Certificate of Insurance (COI) — not a verbal assurance. The COI is a standardized form that lists the insurer, policy numbers, coverage limits, and expiration dates. Your name and address should be listed as the certificate holder. If you have any doubt about whether coverage is current, call the insurer listed on the certificate and verify directly.

Step 3: Get Written, Itemized Estimates

For any job over $1,500 — and certainly for any full replacement — get 2–3 written, itemized estimates. The format matters:

• Written: Anything not in writing doesn't exist. Verbal quotes are unenforceable and meaningless for comparison.
• Itemized: Materials (including specific shingle brand, underlayment type, ice and water shield), labor, tear-off and disposal, permit fees if applicable, and any flashing or accessory items should each be listed separately. A single lump sum gives you nothing to evaluate or compare.
• Scope clarity: The estimate should specify what will be done, not just what it will cost. "Full replacement" should include: complete tear-off of existing material down to the deck, deck inspection and repair as needed, new drip edge, ice and water shield in applicable zones, underlayment, new pipe boots and penetration flashings, shingles, and ridge cap.

Don't automatically choose the lowest bid. Compare scope. A $12,000 bid that includes proper underlayment and new pipe boots is better value than an $11,000 bid that leaves the old boots in place and skips ice and water shield.

Storm Chasers vs. Local Contractors

After any significant hail or wind event, out-of-town roofing operations appear door-to-door within 48–72 hours. Some are legitimate regional contractors expanding their service area after a major event. Many are what the industry calls "storm chasers" — operations that follow storm damage nationwide, collect insurance money, and move on before any warranty work comes due.

How to distinguish them:

• Local address and history. A legitimate local contractor has a physical address, a verifiable history of work in your market, and reviews that span more than just the past few months. Search their address — it should be a real office, not a UPS store mailbox.
• Local license. Verify the license is registered to your state and current. Out-of-state contractors sometimes operate without local licensing.
• Warranty enforcement. Storm chasers are often gone in 6 months. A warranty from a company that no longer operates in your market is worthless. Ask specifically how warranty work is handled and by whom.
• Who does the work. Some storm chasers are primarily salespeople who subcontract the actual installation to unknown crews with no relationship to the company you signed with. Ask who will physically be on your roof.

Red Flags: Contractors to Avoid

• Unsolicited door-knocking immediately after a storm. The timing is designed to catch you before you've gotten other quotes and while you're anxious. That's a sales tactic, not a service orientation.
• Asking you to sign an Assignment of Benefits on the first visit. An AOB transfers your insurance claim rights to the contractor. It removes your ability to dispute the settlement and has been abused extensively in some markets. Do not sign one without understanding the implications and without legal advice if you're unsure.
• Offering to waive your deductible. This is insurance fraud in most states. The contractor inflates their estimate by the deductible amount and "waives" what they were always going to collect from the insurer. If caught, it voids your claim. Legitimate contractors don't offer this.
• Requiring full payment before work starts. A reasonable deposit (10–30% for materials) is standard. Full payment in advance, especially in cash, is a setup for abandonment or poor work.
• Refusing to provide a written estimate before starting work. No exceptions. Any contractor who won't put the scope and price in writing is one to walk away from.
• Pressure to decide today. "This price is only good today" is a classic pressure tactic. Roofing prices don't change overnight. If a contractor makes you feel like you'll lose something by taking 24 hours to think and compare, that's manufactured urgency.
• No local references for similar work. Ask for 2–3 local references from jobs completed in the past year. Call them. Ask if the crew showed up on schedule, completed what was promised, how the cleanup was, and whether there have been any issues since.

Questions to Ask Every Contractor

1. "What is your license number, and which state issued it?" Then look it up yourself.
2. "Can you provide a Certificate of Insurance for general liability and workers' comp?" Expect it within 24 hours of asking. Delays or excuses are a red flag.
3. "Who will actually be doing the work — your own crew or subcontractors?" Subcontracting isn't automatically bad, but you should know.
4. "What underlayment will you install, and what type of ice and water shield in which areas?" A contractor who can't answer this specifically doesn't know their own installation specifications.
5. "What does your workmanship warranty cover, for how long, and how do I make a warranty claim?" Get the warranty terms in writing before you sign the contract.
6. "Will you pull a permit for this job?" Permits are required for full replacements in most jurisdictions. A contractor who routinely skips permits is operating outside code — and any issues revealed during a future home sale inspection become your problem.
7. "How will you protect my landscaping and property during the job?" Shingle removal creates significant debris. Clarify cleanup expectations upfront.

What Should Be in Your Roofing Contract

Before signing, your contract should include:

• Detailed scope of work — what will be removed, what will be installed, all material specifications
• Start date and estimated completion date
• Payment schedule (deposit amount, milestone payments if applicable, final payment on completion)
• Workmanship warranty terms — duration, what's covered, how to claim
• Manufacturer warranty information — which warranty is being registered, at what level
• A clause for deck damage found during tear-off — how additional deck repair will be priced and approved
• Cleanup and debris removal language
• Permit responsibility

Understanding Roof Repair Costs

Before you can evaluate whether a contractor's quote is reasonable, you need to know what work actually costs. Full cost guide: Roof Repair Cost — What to Expect

If insurance is involved: Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Roof Damage?

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